The present invention relates generally to agricultural implements, and more particularly relates to apparatus for transferring and metering chemicals from one container to another container.
Modern farming practices indicate that herbicides, insecticides, fertilizers and other chemical solutions will be used with increasing frequency to realize optimum crop yields. These chemicals are for the most part applied by the farmer.
To realize the most economical purchase of agricultural chemicals, the farmer will buy in bulk amounts. To apply the chemicals to the crops or soil requires that the desired amount of concentrate or solution be transferred from the bulk storage container to the application apparatus. Because many of the agricultural chemicals can present health hazards when contacted or inhaled over a period of time, the transferring process can be hazardous. Magnifying the problem is the fact that the farmer must store, transfer and apply several different chemicals throughout the growing season.
Existing transfer apparatus include manual and powered transfer pumps. The manual type of pump is usually portable and includes an inlet hose or pipe which is inserted into the bulk storage container. The pump handle is then manually turned and the flow directed through an outlet hose or pipe into the receiving container. With this type of pump, the farmer is exposed to the chemical fumes and solution during the entire transfer process and cannot be confident that the volume desired has been transferred. The powered type of pump generally presents less of an exposure problem for the farmer since he need only insert the inlet and outlet hoses in the proper containers and start the motor or power source. However, these pumps do not provide metering indicators which would allow the farmer to transfer only the required amount of expensive chemical to the receiving container. Powered pumps also require a powering source of energy and therefore are bulky or inconvenient, presenting time consuming problems when several chemicals are to be transferred, mixed or taken from different storage locations.